I've been to New York City twice in less than two years and incredibly, have never heard of Fat Witch Brownies. How did I miss this? Why was I not informed?

Apparently there is an amazing bakery called Fat Witch and its brownies are legendary. Cleary I need to go back to New York.

Lucky for me, the nice folks at Rodale Books got in touch with me and offered me the opportunity to have a copy of Fat Witch Brownies: Brownies, Blondies, and Bars from New York's Legendary Fat Witch Bakery by Patricia Helding.

This compact, pretty little book sure does have a lot of brownie recipes. Brownies are one of those things that divide people, I find. You either like cakey brownies or fudgy brownies. Or, you might be one of those rare individuals that likes a brownie that travels the middle road: cakey and fudgy.

This review was prepared by Lori of Butter Me Up.
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When one loves to bake, who doesn’t appreciate a great book on cakes? When I found out I was going to be reviewing Nancie McDermott’s Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday CelebrationsI was thrilled to say the least. Being from Canada, I wasn’t too familiar with Southern cakes apart from the Lady Baltimore Cake and the Red Velvet Cake. When I think of the South I think of chess or sweet potato pies or bread pudding. Regardless of my limited exposure to Southern cakes in general, I was keen to learn more.

The book is beautifully laid out and the photography is luscious. As always, I wish there were more photographs because it’s the photo which will often sell me on the recipe. The only real criticism I must remark on is that the font is quite small. When you’re in your kitchen working away at a recipe, it’s beneficial to have the words easy to pick out when you glance at the page.

This review was prepared by Jill of Jillicious Discoveries.
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There is nothing better than a dessert with fresh fruit that has been picked in its prime and is paired with quality ingredients that enhance the fruits flavor. As I excitedly looked through the newly released book, Seasonal Fruit Desserts: From Orchard, Farm, and Market by Deborah Madison, I immediately tagged several of the recipes to test.

This review was prepared by Ria of Ria's Collection.
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Good things come in small packages, don't they? If so, it is true with Elinor Klivans' Cookies, Brownies, and Bars too! As the cover page says, this book really has dozens of scrumptious recipes to bake and enjoy. The recipes range from the simplest Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches to the exotic French Macarons. The book is divdied into 6 sections: Drop cookies, Shaped cookies, Piped cookies, Rolled &cut cookies, Brownies &bars, Fillings& Coatings. They even have a section with instructions on how to ship baked goodies, which I think is really informative & necessary in every cookie book.

This review was prepared by Angela of Kitchenella.
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When the wonderful folks at The Daring Kitchen asked me to review a cookbook about biscuits, I was intrigued. Not being a Southern Grandmother, to me, biscuits were always what you got when you mixed Bisquik and milk. How wrong I was! As it turn out, biscuit-making is more of an art than a science. You can follow the recipe exactly, but unless you have “the touch”, you can still end up with hockey pucks.

This review was prepared by Becky of Thirty Dirty Fingers.
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While this stunningly beautiful book (Seasonal Fruit Desserts: From Orchard, Farm, and Market) contains many recipes and is technically a cookbook, it reads more like the notes of a kindly friend who has decided to give you an apprenticeship in the appreciation of the delights of fruit. Many of the recipes could be served at an elegant dinner; Swedish cream with Maple Sugar, Creme Fraiche and small dried fruits simmered in port comes to mind. Most of the book, however, is a trove of knowledge and hints on how to find, prepare, and consume the best that nature has to offer. This book is not one that uses strawberries as a garnish for a perfectly executed pastry, but rather one that helps us to whip up a simple cake or cookie that will go perfectly with certain fruits to show off their unique flavours and textures. Ideal pairings of fruit with cheeses, nuts, and spirits are also included to expand your repertoire.

This review was prepared by Michele Durante of Veggie Num Nums.
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I’ve been looking forward to reviewing The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes: Amazing Cookies, Cakes, Muffins, Pies, Brownies and Breads by Kris Holechek because though I’m not a vegan, I really want to cut back on dairy products in my baking. I frequently make vegan savory dishes, but until now I’ve not even attempted vegan baked goods. I am very happy to report that everything I made was really tasty, and surprisingly easy with no weird health food-y ingredients required.

This review was prepared by Michele Durante of Veggie Num Nums.

If you’re looking for a book about baking that gives you step-by-step instructions and lots of big color photos, let me suggest Baking by James Peterson. I purchased the book for myself a couple months ago and I’m loving it. The instructions are so clearly stated and the recipes are almost foolproof. According to the cover of the book, there are 350 recipes and 1500 photographs — that’s a lot of photos. It’s an oversized book and it’s one you’ll enjoy just flipping through for ideas.

I tried to pick different types of baked goods to test for this review. I made Coconut Cream Pie, Apple Tart, Shortbread, Focaccia, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Two-tone Sablee Cookies, Puff Pastry with Cream Cheese Filling, and Pecan Pie. Everything was good, and a couple things were out of this world amazing.

This review was prepared by Nidhi of Charche Chauke Ke.

We all try to involve the kids in the kitchen but all of us Moms and Dads who have been putting off baking with kids...get Chef Joey's Cupcake Creation. Illustrations by Jason Hutton make for a great visual appeal. All the kids will want to turn into a chef as the book is about Joey who was born an amazing chef.

This book is baked up by Brenda Tuttle who along with her husband Joe were chefs and have now transitioned to food sales. The book also comes with an audio book download but I could not access it since it is still unavailable.

I have a 4 year old son and a 1 1/2 year old daughter. The illustrations are so enticing that my daughter likes to carry the book everywhere she goes. I wish it was a board book cause I do not think that this book will be able to last long with my daughter's use. The book is about a very young chef Joey who bakes up cupcakes. This book is an activity book in which there is no real recipe. The recipe is from the back of a chocolate cake mix and the frosting's recipe is the true sugary stuff that the kids thoroughly enjoy.

This review was prepared by Marika of Madcap Cupcake.

When I heard that a copy of the newly minted BabyCakes by Erin McKenna (named after the famed New York bakery) was being sent to me to review, I was thrilled. I'd been listening to mounting hype surrounding the release of the book and I must admit, I was excited. The vibe was hip. When the book arrived at my door, my excitment peaked. It's a beauty. The graphic design is gorgeous - everything from the typeset to the colors is visually perfect. The photography is stunning and the palette, equal parts soothing and invigorating, ensures that the entire book feels full of personality.

I really wanted to love this book.

As I looked through the pages and drank in the delicious photos it was a nearly impossible task to narrow down my choices of what to bake first. The entire book bursted with bookmarks - torn testaments of my enthusiasm. I wanted to make as many things as practically possible.